Kiryuu in Crisis and Other Stories
by DominoSpots
Summary: A collection of short stories taking place in the canon DxD universe.
1. Kiryuu in Crisis

It was a quiet afternoon in the club room of the Occult Research Club. Club President Asia and the Student Council President, Xenovia, were discussing plans for the upcoming School Open House. Club Vice-President Kiba was looking through the filing cabinet at old meeting records. I, Houdou Issei, was sitting on the sofa reviewing some class notes.

There was a knock on the door. A moment later, a girl with glasses opened the door and came through with her head lowered. It was Kiryuu, a third-year classmate of ours. Some time before, Kiryuu had used one of the flyers that the ORC distributed and had summoned a Devil—Xenovia. She then learned that, among others, Asia, Kiba, and I were all Devils. It was not unusual for her to come and visit us in the club room, but her current mood was much different than her usual, confident self.

Asia stood up behind her desk with a concerned look on her face.

"Kiryuu, are you okay?"

Kiryuu nodded her head and after taking a deep breath asked, "Ise? Will you take me for a cup of tea?"

Bewildered by this sudden, unexpected request, I stood up and looked over questioningly at Xenovia and Asia. They both nodded their heads with a wide-eyed expression.

"Sure," I answered and crossed the room to where Kiryuu was standing. She took me by the arm with her eyes still directed to the floor. As we walked to the door, I looked back behind me at my friends and with the palm of my free hand upwards, I made a face as if to say, "What's going on?"

A stunned Kiba turned to the desk where Xenovia and Asia both shrugged their shoulders in confusion. I guess I would need to wait to learn what this was all about. Kiryuu and I left the room and I closed the door behind us.

A short distance from the school was a café that was popular with the students. Kiryuu held onto my arm in silence until we reached the café, then spoke only to give the clerk the style of tea that she liked. We sat at opposite sides of the table and I looked at her expectantly while she stirred her tea.

After a minute or two, Kiryuu, still looking down at the table, asked in a quiet voice, "Ise? Being a Devil...what's it like?"

With relief, I let out the breath I was holding and took a couple of deep breaths to calm my nerves. Ah, this—this, I could handle. Kiryuu slowly raised her face to look at me.

"Well," I started, "there's a lot of things that are still the same, and there's a lot of things that are far different than anything I could have imagined."

Kiryuu nodded her head. "I can imagine," she said.

"I mean," I continued, "I still eat and sleep, my fingernails still need to be trimmed, and I still have trouble memorizing things at school."

Kiryuu looked up at me with curiosity and increasing calmness. I lifted my hands dramatically over my head.

"I mean, I suddenly get this weird ability to understand any language as soon as I hear it or read it, and somehow my English scores get worse because it's preventing me from keeping it in my head."

Kiryuu gave a surprised giggle and covered her lips with her fingers. Good, she's starting to relax.

"Do you drink blood?" she asked?

"No, that's vampires. Devils eat the same things that humans..."

Suddenly Kiryuu kicked my ankle with the side of her foot and laughed, "Ha, you are such a dummy—you can't even tell when somebody is teasing you."

What is with this girl? How does somebody go from silent and moody to being a bully that quickly?

"Well, I know a couple of vampires and they're pretty good people. Some of them, anyway."

Kiryuu rested her chin on her hand and her expression gradually changed from amused to concerned.

"Did it hurt?" she asked.

"Did what hurt?"

"Being turned into a Devil."

"No, that part didn't hurt. The part before where I got killed hurt a lot."

The hand that was supporting her chin dropped to the table. "The what?"

"Yeah, took a magical spear to the chest. That was right after I got hit with the same kind of spear in each leg. That really hurt."

Kiryuu looked at me with an expression somewhere between shock and disbelief.

"You...died?"

"I did, " I said trying not to make it sound too awful. "Twice, actually."

Kiryuu gave the table a little slap and harshly whispered, "now you're teasing me!"

I shook my head and said, "Nope, but the second time was even more bizarre than the first. I don't understand what happened so I can't really explain it to you."

"I can imagine," she said as she looked back down at the table and started idly stirring her tea.

After a pause that kept getting thicker, I asked, "So what about you? What made you decide to summon a Devil?"

With that, her whole demeanor changed. She raised her hands and turned her head in a "you got me" pose and said while rolling her eyes, "Weeeeellll, I don't want to disappoint you, but this life may not be as glamorous as I may have previously led you to believe."

I closed my eyes slightly to give her my best "Oh, really?" expression. She took a sip of her tea and continued.

"Look...a long time ago I came to accept that I'm not very pretty. I don't like to do girly things, so the girly girls think I'm weird. I don't have a lot of friends. I guess it just finally got to be too much for me. I was holding that flyer and not really wishing for anything in particular, just wishing, and the next thing I knew, Xenovia was standing in my room with me.

She smiled as she remembered that moment. "I think she was more surprised than I was."

Wow. I stared at her for a moment. Just like that, huh?

"So what do you two do together?"

Kiryuu shook her head and said, "That's kind of personal so I'm not going to go into it."

Sure, I get it. I'm sure that most of my clients wouldn't like for the story of our meetings to be public knowledge.

"But you know?" she continued, "most of the time, I just listen to her talk. She talks about all of the amazing things she does with you and Rias and everybody."

Kiryuu's face started to sink again. "She tells me about all of the places you get dragged to, and all of the people you meet."

Again, the dark cloud settled over her. She looks at me with eyes becoming filled with tears.

"Ise?" she whispered. "Will you show me something amazing?"

I took her hand in mine and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

"Of course," I smiled. "Let's go."

We left the café and walked around to the back of the building. I stood with my arms down, hands curled, and my shoulders forward, and closed my eyes. I felt my aura spread out from me. I opened my eyes.

"I just performed a technique that will hide our presence from anybody who happens to look this way."

"You mean we're invisible?"

"Not quite," I explained. "It's more like we have become extremely uninteresting."

She gave me an evil grin, "I don't see how it could be possible for you to be any less interesting."

"Ha ha ha," I spoke in a flat tone. "Now watch this."

I lifted my hands so that my forearms were parallel to the ground and enabled my Crimson Armor.

"Whoa." Kiryuu gasped. "That is amazing."

She approached me slowly and reached her hand out to place her fingers on my chest.

"It feels warm. I was expecting it to feel like metal."

She moved closer and focused her eyes, "I can see my reflection!"

I reached my left hand behind her back and bent my knees so that I could position my right hand behind her legs. She seemed to understand what my intentions were and she allowed herself to fall into my arms.

I stood up. Her face was directed towards mine, her eyes wide and her mouth slightly open.

I deployed my wings. She let out a squeal of surprise. Then I leaped into the air and gave my wings a powerful flap.

Kiryuu screamed and wrapped her arms around my neck and squeezed me tightly.

"You're okay," I said and patted her on the shoulder.

After a short flight, I landed us in a small park on the top of a tall hill. I set Kiryuu down and released my armor. Kiryuu took little steps in a small circle with her palms pressed against her cheeks.

"Wow," she uttered over and over while occasionally looking over at me.

After a while, she waved her hands around the sides of her head as if she was trying to chase away a cloud of insects.

"That was..." she started. Then she looked at me and asked, "Could you go into space in that?"

I scratched my cheek and said, "I don't know. I've never really considered it." I wrinkled my brow and said, "I spent some time in the dimensional gap and that's kind of like space, so...maybe?"

She grinned and shook her head, and started walking around me, appraisingly.

"Your...wings..." she said as she was looking at my back, remembering what she had seen. "Your wings are different from Xenovia's. Hers look more like fancy bat wings."

"Oh," I said, "I've got those too..." and I let my Devil wings appear and spread outward. "But I can't fly with these."

And then I lowered my head in embarrassment and said, "I guess I'm a bit of a crap Devil."

Kiryuu smiled gently and rested her palm on the side of my arm. "No," she said, "you're not."

Feeling a little bit awkward, I brought my Devil wings back inside.

"So, what else can you do?" she asked.

"To be honest?" I started, "mostly just beat people up and destroy things."

Oh, man, when I really look at it, I'm not very impressive.

"Wait!" I said as I suddenly remembered, "there is something that I've been thinking of that I haven't tried yet. Would you like to see it?"

Kiryuu smiled with her eyebrows raised and nodded her head enthusiastically.

"Okay," I said and took a deep breath. "Ddraig?"

"Partner, I was wondering if you would ever get around to introducing me."

"Is that a computer?" Kiryuu asked.

"No, he's an ancient dragon who was defeated and sealed by the combined might of the Devils, Angels, and Fallen Angels, who now resides in something called a Sacred Gear that my body..." I trailed off. "You know, when I speak it out loud, it sounds unbelievably ridiculous."

Kiryuu gave me a tender smile and gently nodded her head.

"Anyway," I re-focused, "Ddraig, I want to fly as fast as possible and then use fire to write out the character for 'dragon' in mid-air. Then I want to land as quickly as I can. Can we do that?"

"It's as good as done." And with that, I launched myself as hard as I could and spun through the air sending out dragon flames in all directions. Then I landed hard back on the ground.

"How was that?" I asked.

Kiryuu looked around her and then up in the sky where the skywriting was dissolving from flame into smoke. She looked slightly confused as she started turning her head from side to side.

"Not that great, huh?" I asked as my armor became a cloud of aura behind me.

Kiryuu shook her head rapidly. "No, it's just that everything happened so fast." She looked at me and pointed, "there was a sound like thunder, a wind that almost pushed me over, and then immediately after that, there was a shaking of the ground like a small earthquake."

"Maybe..." she continued as she put her hand against my arm again, "maybe if you did it a little more slowly so I could follow along..."

I lowered my head and moved away, letting her hand slide from me. I found what looked like a comfortable spot and sat down. "No," I said, "I'm just not very good at this. I'm not smart like Rias, or talented like Kiba, or confident like Akeno."

I guess Kiryuu didn't know how to respond. She sat down more than an arm's length away from me. Then she leaned over and picked up a stick, and started tracing circles in the dirt between her feet.

Time passed and the sun started to set. Now what do I do? I can't just leave her here but I know that she doesn't want to be around me anymore.

As if she was reading my mind, she looked at me and asked, "Ise, you and Rias are dating, right?"

I hugged my knees a little more closely and nodded.

"I see," she said and turned her attention back to her dirt circles.

After a while, she spoke again. "And Asia?"

I saw that she wasn't looking in my direction so I mumbled, "I guess so, yeah."

Kiryuu continued to look down at the dirt while the stick slowly went around and around. The sky started to grow dark as the last of the sun dropped below the hills.

Kiryuu spoke again. "The last time Xenovia came over, she was so excited that she could barely control herself."

She paused again and I could tell that she was trying to maintain her composure.

"She told me that you were in some kind of battle contest and that your team was going to lose."

Oh, no.

"And that she shocked you by confessing her love to you in front of everybody."

Oh no, oh no, this can't be happening.

"And she said that you wound up losing the game anyway but that it didn't matter because you and she were going to be married."

Oh, if there's any mercy in this universe please let me die at this moment.

"Rias. Asia. Xenovia..." Kiryuu said as she shook her head. And then she looked at me, and I could see her eyes beginning to overflow.

"Ise?"

"…."

"Just how special are you?"

I couldn't speak. I don't know what's happening. Why is this happening?

Kiryuu stood up and started to walk towards me. I stood up as well. She came closer and pushed against me with her body, her hand on my back and her cheek pressed against my chest. Not knowing what else to do, I wrapped my arms around her just gently enough for her to know I was there.

Then Kiryuu made a sound that I had never heard before. Her hand bunched up the back of my school uniform and she gripped it very tightly. The tears could no longer be restrained and she was pounding me on the shoulder as hard as she could with the bottom of her fist, shouting, "I never wanted to be a part of your stupid pervert club, I was only playing along because I wanted you to notice me!"

She cried until she regained her breath and then she started pounding me even harder, shouting, "I hate you. I hate you. I hate you."

I pulled her in closely and let her cry while I looked up at the sky to prevent my own tears from falling.

I never wanted this.

With her face still against my chest, she said weakly, "I want to go home now. Please take me home."

I realized that she hadn't looked at me since she stood up the last time.

I brought up my armor and wings, and concentrated to expand my aura so that she may be warm on the way back.

We landed at the school.

"I..." I confessed, "I don't know where your house is."

She gently pushed my arms away and turned without looking at me. As she began to walk away, she said bitterly, "We have only been classmates for forever so why would you know where I live?"

And then, "I can make it home on my own, please don't follow me."

I stood there watching her get further and further away, not knowing what I could have done differently but still feeling like it was my fault. Then, when I could no longer see her, I turned and began my own walk home.

When I got home, I heard voices coming from the kitchen. It sounded like Xenovia was desperately trying to explain something and Rias was trying to calm her down. I stepped into the kitchen where Rias was standing behind Asia and Xenovia. Rias had a look of intense concern, Asia had her hands covering her mouth as if she had just witnessed a subway suicide, and Xenovia looked like she was about to be sick.

I stopped and looked at the floor. "I'm sorry I'm late. I'm sorry I missed dinner. I'm sorry I didn't call."

I turned to enter the hall and out of the corner of my eye, I could see Rias lightly pushing Asia and Xenovia to follow me.

"I'm going to bed."

I opened the door to my room and was not surprised that it was empty. I silently thanked Rias or Ravel or whoever for having the insight to make this happen. I left the door open. I wanted to be alone but I couldn't hurt Asia and Xenovia by closing them out.

While they stood just inside of the door, I removed my school clothes and put on my pajamas.

I climbed onto my bed and lay on my back. I pressed the heels of my hands against my eyes and gritted my teeth but I couldn't keep my emotions from flowing out.

With the voice of a dragon, I roared, "Why does my getting what I want mean that somebody else has to suffer?!" and my chest shook as I could no longer keep from crying.

"Oh, Ise!" I heard Asia cry out, then the sound of footsteps running towards me. Asia and Xenovia hugged me on either side as they both started to cry with me.

I don't remember falling asleep.


	2. Ravel Phoenix, Master Strategist

I stood at the door of Ise's room holding the books that contain his contacts and schedule. What a scene. Ise lay on his back with Rias clinging to his right arm and Asia blissfully hugged against his left arm. Xenovia was using Ise's right leg as a pillow, and Irina was spooned up against Xenovia with her right arm resting on Ise's knee. Kuroka was sprawled out across the bed above Ise's head. Ophis and Lilith lay head to head, holding hands, below Ise's feet. Koneko, who was resting her head on Ise's left leg, opened her eyes a crack and patted the space between Ise's knees.

"There is still space here, Yakitori-chan," she said, using the name she had once used to provoke me as a term of affection.

I walked to the foot of the bed and set down my books. I lightly scratched Koneko between her shoulder blades and she smiled and closed her eyes.

I walked over to the closet where the bed linens are stored and removed two thick pillows and a warm-looking blanket. Looking at the sleeping arrangements again, I decided that the right side of the bed would be optimal.

As I began to lay out the pillows and blanket on the floor, my friends began to question what I was doing.

"Ravel, a high-class Devil can't sleep on the floor!" they all said.

I told them that it was fine and turned off the lights.

I spread out the books and using my talents of the Phoenix, I created a small flame suspended in mid-air just above them to use as a reading light.

I could hear the rustling of bodies against sheets, the occasional sigh, and a giggle or two. By the time I had reviewed Ise's upcoming schedule (first the whole month, then the next week, then the next day), the mood in the room had changed. I banished the flame and closed my books, putting them an arm's reach above my head, and then rolled onto my back to listen.

There was a soft, wet sound of kisses, the whisper of words of adoration, and the silence of five girls holding their breath so they wouldn't miss a single sound.

The silence slowly dissolved into the sound of slow breathing. I stared at the ceiling and reviewed the schedule again in my mind. When I was absolutely sure I hadn't forgotten anything, I put my hands in the air and played by making a flame dance from fingertip to fingertip.

The breathing sounds gradually transformed to the snores and grunts of sleep. My finger dance had become more complex with my hands waving from side to side leaving trails of light in front of my eyes. But I soon became bored with this and clenched my hands so the flames would go out.

I closed my eyes and smiled, remembering my bed back at my parents' house—the frame made from wood cut before the rains of the great flood, the sheets made from silk so fine that they would hang in the air when I played with them. It was a place of luxury that I simply knew as mine. I couldn't imagine any place else.

And while my thoughts were lost in the sea of the past, it began.

A slight noise brought me fully awake and all of my senses went to alert. Someone was restless in her sleep. I strained my ears to try to make out a voice that was not quite speaking. I could feel my pulse in my neck getting faster and stronger.

The vocal sounds became louder and more intense. A body was moving with increasing energy.

This was it!

I pressed my body against the side of the bed just as it passed over above me.

***WHUMP***

I got up and gathered the blanket and tucked a pillow under his head. I placed the other pillow nearby and spread out the blanket, then I crawled underneath.

I stroked his cheek with the back of my fingers as he slowly opened his eyes.

"Hi," I said while I traced down the bridge of his nose and then slid my finger back and forth once across his lips.

"Uh...hi?" Ise said a little unsure of what was going on. I gazed into his eyes for a moment and smiled. Then I rolled over onto my side, drawing his arm over me, and then pressing my shoulders into his chest.

A high-class Devil sleeping on the floor? What a silly thought. For the next three hours, I have Ise all to myself.

And for this, I would sleep on broken glass.


	3. A Fortunate Encounter

I have the best job in the world. I have the honor of managing the affairs of one of the most famous Devils in the Underworld, the Sekiryuutei, Issei Hyoudou, the hero Oppai Dragon. Issei-san is very busy and always in demand. Because of this, I am especially proud of the meeting about to take place.

Ise and I arrived at our destination, an expensive restaurant in the high-class district on the outskirts of the Underworld's trade and financial center, Pandemonium. As we approached, a man who appeared to be the same age as Azazel-sensei, wearing a well-tailored business suit, approached us smiling with his hands outstretched in greeting.

"Sekiryuutei-sama, it is wonderful to see you again!"

Ise reached out his own hand and the man took it and shook it vigorously. Ise turned his head from side to side and apologized, "I'm sorry, I'm really embarrassed, but there have been so many people..."

"Ah," the man nodded and withdrew his hands. "Maybe this will loosen your memory?"

The man took a step back and raised his hands in a position that made him appear that he was about to cast a spell. With a sly grin, the man spoke the words "[Freezing Archaeopteryx]."

Ise's face immediately changed to one of shock and horror. He had recognized his opponent from the Mid-class Devil practical exam. Before I could respond, Ise had prostrated himself in the Dogeza fashion and began to chant, "I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry!"

I dropped the books I was holding and took hold of Ise's upper arm and gave a tug to ask him to stand back up. The man's face fell and he placed his hand on Ise's other shoulder and said, "Please, Sekiryuutei-sama, it's okay. Please..."

Ise slowly stood up but did not raise his face.

With his hand still on Ise's shoulder, the man continued, "It's okay! I'm okay. There is no need to apologize. Look!"

Ise raised his eyes to look at the man. The man smiled and said gently, "Please, I'm fine."

He bowed to Ise and declared, "My name is Iraan Ligonruud and I never dreamed that this moment could possibly arrive."

As Ise's mood appeared to be returning to normal, I bent down and collected the items I had dropped. Ligonruud-san continued, "When your Phoenix-sama contacted me, I had to convince myself that I wasn't dreaming."

Ligonruud-san motioned to the door, "Please, let us continue our reunion inside."

He opened the door and I entered first. One of the benefits of my high-class upbringing is a mysterious power that somehow forces those of the lower classes to give us immediate attention and service. The maitre d' bowed quickly and with a rapid step, led us to a table in the private section of the restaurant.

Normally, patrons of an establishment like this value privacy and respect it for others. Unfortunately, the Underworld is still adjusting to a personage as bold and exciting as that of my [King]. As we passed, conversations stopped and people stared. Ise made eye contact with a few of them and raised his hand in an awkward greeting. As we pushed aside the curtain to enter our salon, I could hear the whispers behind us—"Was that…?" and "Did you see him?" followed by all of his various titles and descriptions.

Ligonruud-san seated himself and shook his head. "I've never experienced anything like that." He beamed the brightest smile and said, "They were staring at ME because I was with YOU. Incredible!"

The maitre d' pushed in my chair and I told him to bring out the order I had specified beforehand. Time was too precious to waste with menus.

Ligonruud-san was smiling so widely that it looked painful. I turned to Ise and said, "It wasn't easy to make contact with Ligonruud-san. The identities of the candidates are kept under strict confidentiality. It prevents them from public shame if, by some misfortune, the advancement is not awarded.

"But it turned out that I was looking in the wrong place."

I turned to look at Ligonruud-san and he continued, "My treatment was generously provided by the Gremory family."

Ise looked concerned again and asked, "How...how badly did I hurt you?"

Ligonruud-san waved his hand dismissively as he finished the sip of his drink.

"It was nothing. I was unconscious long enough for my wife to worry, a couple of broken bones, but nothing serious and nothing permanent."

Ise apologized sincerely again, "I'm really sorry. I didn't know..."

Ligonruud-san reached across the table and touched Ise's hand.

"Sekiryuutei-sama, you may find this difficult to believe, but your punch was the greatest thing to ever happen to me."

Ise's face showed that he didn't understand. Ligonruud-san continued, "Do you know the opponents you are associated with?"

Ise, this adorable, precious, unassuming man, shook his head that he did not. Ligonruud-san lifted his hand and started to count on his fingers, "The Norse chief-god's son, Loki; the unstoppable monsters of the [Annihilation Maker]; and the Lion Scion, Sairaorg Bael."

Then he paused, folded his hands on his lap, and said, "and me." While the realization was becoming visible on Ise's face, Ligonruud-san peeked over the top of his glass and sipped. He put the glass down and spoke softly.

"Do you understand now? Sekiryuutei-sama, the day I met you, I was a minor manager—a faceless component of a very large organization.

"When I returned from convalescence, I was a celebrity! The company president visited me personally to welcome me back. I get invited to important meetings and introduced to our best customers. There are rumors I will be appointed Vice-President when the old man retires.

"My son," he continued as his eyes became wet, "brings his schoolmates by in order for them to pass in front of me to look at me.

"It's a dream that I never want to wake from.

"The truth is that I don't even remember what happened. I remember bringing up my weapons and the next thing I knew, I was coming awake in a private room of the finest hospital in the Underworld.

"Oh, and before I forget, I was awarded my Mid-class Devil promotion. The judges opinion was that since I simply faced you and didn't flee as they expected, that I had shown bravery and nerve beyond the requirements.

"I will never be able to thank you for something you did without even trying."

I realized that we were so captivated by Ligonruud-san's tale that three courses had come and gone without us noticing, and that our main course was getting cold. I lightly tapped Ise on his hand and whispered, "Eat."

Ise jerked his head as if a spell had been broken, then looked down and picked up his knife and fork.

"Wow," he said.

"Yeah," Ligonruud-san agreed.

Ise looked at his plate, deep in thought, and chewed away at his meal. He nodded as if he had made a decision and said, "You know, I've got some experience with having your life suddenly turned upside-down."

And as simply as that, common ground was established and the two of them talked and laughed. All I could do was to look at this incredible man while the warmth of pride flowed into my cheeks.

And, as was inevitable, a tiny spell circle appeared at my ear and informed me of our next appointment.

"Hyoudou-san," I spoke softly and gave him a sad look.

"Ah," he said and put down his fork. He looked resigned and defeated and he laughed, "I guess this is my life."

Ligonruud-san gave a tight-lipped smile and nodded.

Ise looked at him and said, "In the past year, I have met Maous and gods and creatures of legend and things that defy description. All of these have been the result of my association with the House of Gremory, or through my being involved in some crisis.

"Do you know how many people I have met through anything I, myself, have done?"

Ligonruud-san looked attentive and shook his head, "no."

"You."

The handsome, well-dressed man at our table suddenly looked like a little boy who had been told that his birthday had come early—happy, but not fully comprehending.

Ise continued, "And I would like to call you 'friend.'"

Ligonruud-san smiled and nodded his head. "Well!" he said, "now instead of bragging that I had lunch with the Sekiryuutei, I can say that I had lunch with MY FRIEND, the Sekiryuutei," and he thrust his hand out again.

The spell circle reappeared, this time larger and brighter. I scooped up my things and said, "I'm so sorry to leave in such a rush but the Oppai Dragon," and I turned to give him an approving gaze, "has a battle with Captain Angel scheduled at the Children's Hospital."

Ise's face lit up and still holding Ligonruud-san's hand said, "Will you be my guest at the next Rating Game?"

He turned to look at me and said, "Oh, and have him and his wife added to the invitation list. Arrange for Rias, Asia, and Akeno to meet with his wife for an informal tea, and then with each individually to go shopping for dresses to wear at each occasion."

I scrambled to start writing his directions down.

"Get with Sona-senpai and arrange for Iraan-kun (Iraan-kun!) and his son to tour the academy. Try to schedule a time when somebody from one of the top teams is instructing. Oh, and if Saji-kun is there, make SURE," he emphasized, "that he tells them about the time that he beat me."

Ligonruud-san gave me a look of astonishment at this unexpected revelation. We had managed to somehow exit the building and were standing outside.

"Iraan-kun, I don't think I need to explain how chaotic my schedule is. I hate it, but it can't be helped. If you could make yourself available with short notice, I would love to spend time with you again."

Ligonruud-san stood up straight and puffed out his chest. "I will make it happen!"

"Great!" and he waved, and we started to walk away. Ise suddenly turned and called behind us, "Do you like to go fishing?"


	4. Apologies and Explanations

I'm sitting in a plush leather armchair at a large, antique wooden desk. In front of me, held between my fingers, is a printed card, about the size of a photograph. The card is printed on heavy stock, like one would use to print a wedding invitation. On the card is printed an odd circular design. As I tilt the card from side to side, the light catches the ink revealing changing patterns. I vaguely remember seeing something like this in an advanced mathematics class in college. The figure traps the eye, making it difficult to look away. It's beautiful, but with a depth that makes it frightening.

Letting out a long breath, I look up at the room, my office. Two smaller, but no less plush chairs stand on either side of the front of the desk. Dim light from pearlescent sconces reveal darkly stained wood panels on the walls. Most of the walls on either side contain recessed bookshelves filled with volumes. Like the circle on the card, the contents of the shelves are constantly changing. Whenever I look at it, I see a book that I hadn't seen before, but one that I wanted to read. At the far end of the office, there is a small nook with a table and two wing-back chairs. Kaa-san bought me a clay pipe to smoke while I was reading, but I can't bring myself to use it.

At the other corner is an old globe in a stand like one would see in a museum. The result is a perfect English-style home library. It looks like the set of a stage play. I would have to venture to the highest levels of my company's organization before I found someone who wouldn't envy such a space. And even then, I doubt that even the company president has one like it of his own.

My gaze returns to the card as my fingers turn it back and forth. Rias gave me this card this morning at breakfast.

"There is something that I need to speak to you about," she said, "and it's very important. This card can be used to call me. When you are in a place and at a time that we can talk, simply hold the card and say my name."

So many things have happened recently and I am only pretending to understand them. Because of this, I don't think at all about how a printed card can be used to contact somebody. It's just the way it is now. Mysteries and miracles.

I take another deep breath and release it, then another breath and I speak into the air, "Rias Gremory."

A circle, similar to the one on the card, appears on the carpet of the floor in front of me. A strange light that casts no shadow glows, and then dims, and a young woman is standing there. Wearing the same outfit that she was wearing this morning before she left for her day at university, Rias had come.

Then she lowered herself to her knees, placed her hands palm-down on the floor, bowing her head low over them. "Otou-san, I am very sorry for what I have done. Will you please listen to me?"

I wasn't expecting this and I wasn't sure how to react. But this is my son's future wife and my future daughter, so I stood up and walked around the desk towards her.

"Of course, I will. Please get up. There is no need for such a display."

I took her by the hand and helped her to her feet. Then I guided her into one of the chairs to be seated, and then I sat in the other chair near her.

"Please, tell me what it is that bothers you."

Rias looked at me and forced a smile. She looked on the verge of tears.

"I am sorry because I have taken advantage of you and kaa-san," she said. "When I first met you, I was a spoiled girl accustomed to getting her way. I looked down on you. And when I needed something, I used my power to make you think that you were the one making the decision.

"I claimed your son, and then I claimed your home. And I convinced myself that since I was giving you things that you did not have, that I had the right to do so.

"And I fear that you will never be able to trust me because I have done these things. I am afraid that you will always have some doubt about whether you are in control of your own choices.

"I don't want to be a part of your family when I'm holding this guilt."

She dropped her gaze and lowered her shoulders. I sat in silence for a moment, trying to think of the correct thing to say. It was obvious to me that this was one of the most difficult things that she had ever done, and I didn't want to trivialize it by waving it aside so quickly.

I tried to think of something to say to reassure her. "You are already part of our family." I waited, but she didn't seem ready to continue talking. "And we might have been more aware of what was happening than you think."

At this, she looked up at me with a questioning expression. I continued, "Think about it, how many times did you need to influence us? Only once, and that was when our approval was needed. That's it." Her brows squeezed together in thought.

"You might have done it several times, but each time you only needed to do it that one time. Get it? If we hadn't been happy with the decision, you would have needed to push us continually, wouldn't you?"

She sat up as she focused on her thoughts. "When Asia came to stay with us," I said, "some time later I realized that I had a delightful young woman greeting me in the morning and helping with the chores at night. I tried to remember how that happened, but while my memory told me that it was a simple decision, I couldn't think exactly what made it a simple decision. It didn't make any sense.

"I couldn't think of a single reason why I would make a decision like that so quickly when, in most areas, I plan and budget and schedule in great detail. But then I would think of how wonderful it was to have Asia in the house and then the reasons 'why' didn't seem too important."

Rias looked at me blankly, so I leaned back and smiled. "I hope that in the future, you will be able to trust us enough that if you ask first, and if you say that it's important, that we will help you in any way that we can."

Rias looked down at her lap again and it appeared that she might have tears welling in her eyes. She nodded her head and looked back up at me. "I will." I stood up and opened my arms. She stood and leaned in to receive the offered hug.

"I forgive you, and I am certain that kaa-san will forgive you as well. After all, it has been a long time since you have felt the need to influence us, hasn't it?"

She nodded against me and then gently pushed herself back.

"Thank you."

"I'm actually glad you asked for this time to talk. Can you stay for a little while longer?"

"Of course."

I walked around to the back of the desk and sat in the large chair. Rias composed herself and sat back in the chair in front of the desk, and then looked at me with a serious expression. "What is is that you would like to discuss?"

I couldn't make the words come out. Rias continued to look at me, her expression unchanged. With each passing moment, I became more fearful of the truth that I was about to hear. So many times over the last few days, I recalled the awful experience that we were subjected to. I remembered the shock of seeing my son appear in that terrible place—of seeing his face change to that of a beast of nightmares. At the time, I was so relieved to be able to recognize my son in spite of his appearance. It wasn't until we had returned home that the full meaning of what I had witnessed became clear.

"My son. Ise...what has he become? Is he a monster?"

* * *

The question surprised me and I had to focus to prevent my face and body from showing that surprise. Why hadn't I considered that this may be a concern for them? My beloved servants and I had encountered so many strange things that we had become accustomed to it. Was this my selfish nature that just assumed that others would be as accepting of impossible changes as I?

When I was a young girl, my father would take me riding through the forests of the estate. Some times we would ride for hours and then he would stop, look at me, and tell me a lesson he had learned from his long life. Other times I would realize that we were on our way back home and he had not said anything, only for him to thank me when we arrived back at the stables for keeping him company. I was never disappointed by the silences, but I think it did make me appreciate the words even more.

On one of these rides, we had climbed to a high ridge that gave us a beautiful view of the estate. Our mounts stood, snorting and twitching, while my father slowly scanned the scene. Then, while still looking out over the landscape, he said, "The most difficult thing you will ever do as a leader of warriors will be to explain to their loved ones why they didn't return."

He became silent. This was a far different topic than his usual observations on the world. I was frozen in place, waiting to see what would happen next. My father looked at his hands, twisting the reins between his fingers. Then he raised his head to look at the sky and took a deep breath. He slowly turned his sorrowful face to me and said, "In that moment, the son or daughter you give them will be the one that they remember and keep with them."

This was that moment. In a way, this man's son had never come back to him. I closed my eyes and nodded. Then, I adjusted my position in my chair, and said, "I'm going to tell you the truth, but I'm also going to tell you what you need to hear."

Then I turned to my right and quickly traced a pattern of loops and lines in the air. I looked at my father-in-law and told him, "I know what happened at Agreas. Asia was very concerned for you and I am sorry that I did not come and talk to you and kaa-san sooner.

"One truth is that we don't know what Ise has become. He had already grown beyond what anyone had ever seen from a reincarnated devil before his second transformation. His rebirth as man from dragon is so unique that it's not even recorded in legend.

"His power is so great that I have seen him render mountains to nothingness in the flash of a moment. More than that, his will is so strong that he raises those around him to levels of strength and talent that exceed their own desires. Any one of his comrades, at any other time, would be among the most powerful of that age."

There was a knock at the door. I raised an eyebrow encouragingly. Otou-san remembered his place and called out "Come in!"

Akeno appeared in answer to my summons, wheeling in a tea cart. I smiled both at Akeno's efficiency and also at otou-san's look of surprise. She and I have never discussed it openly, but I truly believe that this is her favorite responsibility. After she had poured the tea, she bowed, backed away three steps, and then turned on her heel and exited the room.

"But does power itself make one a monster?" I continued, holding a steaming tea cup. "I could give you countless examples of ordinary people who have committed monstrous acts. No, it is always what one does with the power one has that determines whether somebody is a monster or not."

I took a sip of the tea and looked to see if otou-san would take up the thread of thought. When he remained silent, I said, "Ise is the furthest thing from a monster that I have ever known. Oh, we both know that he has his faults. He's not perfect."

Otou-san closed his eyes and slowly nodded his head. He said with a smile, "He could be a little smarter."

We looked into each other's eyes and shared a moment of true familiarity. "Otou-san, there are days that I'm amazed that he's able to find his mouth with a spoon!"

The darkness of the room's mood vanished completely. We each loved him in a different way, but the fullness of that love was equally complete.

"The world of the high-class Devil is very structured and very cold. From the first time I noticed him, Ise has made me smile." A warm feeling flowed through me from the memory. "His 'worst' is better than the best of most of our society's young Devils. There's a passion in everything he does and I've never heard of anybody so unafraid to try and so unwilling to fail.

"I've realized that one of the reasons I became so selfish is that it has never been in doubt what my position is in society." I had never spoken these words to anyone before—I had barely even thought them. "I existed to be served. I'm not boasting, I just need you to understand how different my life is today than it was just a short time ago.

"The greatest gift that Ise has given me is that of doubt. For the first time in my life, I am unsure of something." Otou-san looked at me softly. I swallowed and in a voice just barely under control said, "Sometimes I wonder if I'm good enough for him."

Otou-san sat leaning over, elbows on his desk with his chin perched upon his folded fingers. His eyes were closed and he was gently nodding his head in understanding.

I took a few calming breaths. "You should see him around children. And you should be very proud of him. You have raised him well."

We sat together for a few moments in a comfortable silence. "Is there anything else you would like me to tell you?" I asked.

He leaned back in his chair and asked, "What are 'Devils'?"

An excellent question. I took the last sip of tea and set the cup and saucer down on the table beside me. "My brother was recently asked this same question. I like his answer very much. He said, 'Devils are living creatures who, while having different values, know both good and evil, just like humans do.' Nobody knows why we were created. We are similar to the Angels but while they seem to be happiest simply in their own existence, we Devils are not satisfied unless we are pushing the boundaries of experience.

"It's ironic that the Angels are associated with creation when it is we who push mankind to build, and compose, and to transform one's surroundings to better suit one's desires. Remember, the Garden of Eden was an unchanging place."

I raised my palm to my shoulder as if I were acting as a balance scale. "It's true that this same compulsion sometimes results in destruction or deception or cruelty, but that is not a burden to be placed on us. Humans were created with free will. Sometimes freedom means making poor choices.

"Would you agree?" I asked. Otou-san gave a subtle nod of confirmation. I continued, "Our values differ. Yet, Devil parents do their best to provide for their Devil children. We do not force anyone to do anything. Our clients are always the ones to make the first contact. We do the best we can to serve those clients because if my family does not, another family will. This is the nature of Devils because that is the nature of humans."

Again, we sat in silence as the moments passed. "Shall I order another cup of tea?" I asked. He shook his head "no" and then leaned forward to look at me. I watched as his eyes moved up and down, from side to side, as he examined me more closely than he had ever done before.

"Is this what you truly look like? Is this your true form?"

This was an unexpected question! I gave a little giggle, and then turned in my chair to present a "seductive" pose.

"Do you think I'm using my Oni powers to seduce poor Ise?" I asked, and fluttered my eyelids. He blushed! He blushed and turned his face away. I returned to a more dignified pose and smiled, waiting for him to regain his composure. After a moment, he relaxed and then he looked at me and gave me the kind of "tell me the truth, little girl" look that only a father can give. Once again, we had come to an unstated understanding.

"We are the kin of the Angels, so why wouldn't we be beautiful?"

I explained further, "It is true that we do have some control over our appearance, but it only allows for a change in apparent age. And this ability does not manifest until one approaches one hundred years of age. Even this is misleading because a Devil ages according to a different curve than humans do. I appear to be eighteen years of age because I am eighteen years of age. This process will slow so that in another fifty years or so, I will appear to be a woman in her early thirties. I'm told that some time later, and it's different for each Devil, our appearance gradually shifts to match the age that our hearts feel is most appropriate. Like any other society, there are fads and fashions, but for the most part, we appear to be an age appropriate to our position in our family."

I gave a theatrical frown. "I'm sorry but I really need to get back to my responsibilities. Is there anything else that I can answer for you quickly?"

"Quickly?" he said, "Probably not. But I am curious what happens to us when we die."

I thought about this for a moment and said, "Would you like to hear the truth, or would you like me to tell you what you need to hear?"

He paused to think about this, and then he leaned forward to rest his chin on his hand. "Please tell me the truth."

"The truth is that I don't know." I stood up and smoothed the fabric of my skirt with my palms. "I'm sorry."

He stood up as I walked around the side of the desk to give him a hug. "Thank you for making my family your family. And thank you for allowing me to take care of your son."

I turned and started walking towards the door. "Rias-san?" he asked, and I turned to face him. "How would you have answered if I had asked for what you thought I needed to hear?"

I smiled and told him, "You are a very wise man, otou-san." Neither his posture nor his expression changed in response to this.

"I would have told you that I don't know." Then I took the last few steps towards the door, opened it, stepped through, and closed it behind me.


	5. Laundry Day

I was bored, so I wandered from room to room looking for something to interest me or for someone to give me attention, as cats do. The light was on in the laundry room so I stopped to look inside. Asia turned her head and smiled, then resumed the folding of her laundry, which appeared to be mostly panties.

"Does that stupid dragon appreciate how difficult it is to find ones that are both cute and comfortable?" Asia asked to the air around her. "I think not," she responded to herself.

I entered the room and traced my finger lightly over Asia's shoulders as I passed behind her.

"Have you seen Ise?" I purred. "I've been thinking of him all day."

"No," she said lightly without taking her eyes from her task. How odd, usually a statement like that would elicit some kind of flustered response. I hopped up to sit on one of the sturdy tables and said, "I can't wait to put my arms around him. I just adore the way he gets so nervous."

"Mm-hmm," Asia responded.

Nothing? Okay, time to bring out the big guns—"Maybe I'll force myself to wait until he takes his bath so I can pull him against me and rub my chest..."

Asia dropped her hands onto the table and turned her head to glare at me. Aha! Gotcha.

"Do you think you're the only person in this house who has breasts?"

Nani?

Asia continued, "Rias has breasts, Akeno has breasts, Rossweisse has breasts. What makes you think that there's anything particularly special about yours?"

I did not see this coming and, in an unusual circumstance for me, I was caught completely off-guard. I refused to let her see it so I responded, "That may be true but it seems that I am a little more willing to let him enjoy mine than any of my dear sisters are."

"It's possible," Asia said thoughtfully, "but I would think that with all of your talents that simply 'thrust my chest at him' would be beneath you."

Reflexively, my tail began to twitch. This WAS interesting! "What do you mean?"

Asia took a deep breath and said, "I mean that if I had a tiny fraction of your senjutsu, what *I* would do would be to focus my fingertips at the minor chakras at the hip and then..." Her fingers did a complicated dance as her wrists turned back and forth, rising to play along an invisible spine.

If you did it right, you might be able to put him into a trance. If you did it WELL, you might actually get him to levitate."

My tail was twitching in a way I had never experienced outside of combat.

"Or," she continued, "you could simply energize him at the base of the ear. That would probably get him to lean back against those boobs you're so proud of."

Oh, this is NOT happening. How does a sheltered child like Asia come to know so much?

Asia had returned her attention back to her folding and I took the opportunity to calm myself. I stretched. "How is it you know this?" I asked in what I hoped was a nonchalant tone.

"Azazel-sensei thought that my [Twilight Healing] may have some relation to senjutsu, so I studied it."

"I see," I said, and then because I was simply too curious, I asked, "It doesn't make you jealous when I hold him?"

"It used to."

Asia leaned against the table she was using and gazed downward.

"I was raised in the Church. My whole life, I was instructed to 'love God.' I never understood what that meant.

"I felt happy when I could use my power to heal, and I was content to have meals and a place to sleep, but I didn't really understand what it meant 'to love' until very recently.

"Ise saved my life, but before that, he GAVE me life beyond the one which depended on my abilities. I love Ise because he gives me everything, and he does it with joy. And I have come to see the way my friends love him as well."

Asia raised her face and smiled as she looked unfocused ahead of her. "I have seen Rias, a princess, an actual 'My daddy is the King' princess, humiliate herself by exposing her flesh in front of countless witnesses because that was what Ise needed at that moment. I watched Akeno leave behind a grudge she had carried for most of her life because she herself couldn't be everything Ise needed until she did so."

"And speaking of Akeno," Asia held up two fingers and turned to look at me, "I know exactly what place I am in line and if she thinks she can take that away from me..." She picked up a pair of her underwear and dangled them between her fingers as she pretended to rub her eyes with her other hand, "a midnight visit from an angry, somewhat overprotective dragon might be just the thing she needs to make sure she doesn't forget again."

Ara, ara, this was a side of Asia that I didn't know existed!

"Anyway," Asia continued, "because of the way I was raised, when I no longer need to think about a task, I pray to give thanks to God, or the System that Remains, or fate, or WHOEVER that I have been given this most wonderful life.

"And then I think of what I can do to make Ise happy at that moment."

Asia turned to lean against the table. "I am confident that, by myself, I would be able to provide for Ise the satisfaction of every of his wants or needs."

She folded her arms against her chest and smiled while she shook her head, "But Ise being Ise, he has decided that having you in his life will also make him happy. So, in order for me to fulfill my duties, I need to make sure that you are giving him the best that you can possibly give him."

She paused and looked at me as if she was expecting me to acknowledge something. I don't do tricks, so I swung my body into a reclining position on my table. And I gave a little smile as I looked at her.

As one would expect when being challenged to such a staring contest, Asia looked away first. She started to resume her folding but, to my surprise, she said, "Just remember," and stretched out a pair of her panties and rocked them up and down, "overprotective dragon."

I lowered my eyelids to two slits and widened my smile. Just exactly where did this Asia emerge from?

Changing the subject, Asia said, "Rias really needs to hurry up and claim that boy before he adds another wife. The way things are going, there's going to be so much pressure built up that somebody's going to get hurt."

Asia put her forearms onto the table and rested the side of her face on her hands, looking at me while she presented herself to the empty space behind her, alternating the bend of each knee so that her hips swayed up and down.

"I hope it's me."

To my complete and utter surprise, I was genuinely shocked by this behavior and felt truly uncomfortable. My reaction must have shown in my face because Asia scowled and said "What?"

I outstretched my arm above me and rested my head on it. "I just can't believe I'm seeing such scandalous behavior from Ise's little goody-goody."

"Ha!" Asia let out a burst of laughter and then pointed at herself with both hands, "Hello? Devil. Remember?"

I sat up and swung my legs over the table to better look at this remarkable creature.

"I've played Ise's Ero games with Xenovia. I've watched Ise's DVDs with Rias. I've had some REALLY weird requests from some of my clients, but it turns out that all they REALLY want is to be held softly by someone who will listen to them.

"There's very little that remains to surprise me."

I slid down from the table and asked her, "But your reactions—you always look like you're being forced to swallow a live frog!"

Asia smiled and lowered her face slightly. Looking at her from the side, her qi was radiating behind her to give the appearance of...white wings!

"Ise likes to protect me. And I like giving him somebody who needs to be protected."

I truly couldn't believe that this was the same person I had known all this time.

Asia took my hands in hers and hopped up and down in place.

"I can't tell you how wonderful it is to finally have somebody I can TALK about these things with!"

I was confused and worse, I felt trapped. "But why me? And why now?" I asked.

Asia kept ahold of my hands and looked me in the eyes. She said, "Rias told me that Devil—even reincarnated Devils—can live for thousands of years. I don't know how long Nekomata live, but I imagine it's a long time, too.

"If we are going to be sisters for a thousand years or more, I want us to have a special relationship. Something just between the two of us!"

I nodded that I understood, but I still didn't understand fully. "Yes, but why THIS?"

Asia gave me a look that combined all of the terrifying aspects of Rias' authority, Akeno's wisdom, and Xenovia's determination.

"Ah," she said, "there are two reasons. The first is that I believe cats to be good keepers of secrets."

She finished putting her things into her basket, picked it up, and turned to leave.

"Second," she smiled, "I think you're not 100% certain that even if you DID tell somebody, that they would believe you."

She leaned in on her toes and gave me a small gentle kiss on the cheek. And in the timid voice I hear when I think 'Asia,' she said, "I'm so happy that we were able to share this moment together! Goodbye!"


	6. Party Dragon

My client is sitting across from me and I'm waiting patiently for him to take the action that will set the tone for this, our first session. He appears to be a man in his mid-30s, but this is just a form that he has chosen. He is, like all of my clients, a dragon.

I am seated on a comfortable chair holding a small notebook and a pen. To my right is a table holding a lamp, a plastic bottle of water, and a steaming cup of tea. To my left is a low table on which lay assorted professional textbooks and journals. My client is seated in the middle of a three-cushion couch, resting his forearms on his legs with his folded hands between his knees. He looks to be examining the intricate carpet on the floor between us, but one never knows with dragons. His thoughts could be anywhere across a thousand years or a million miles.

"I'm told that you were referred to me by the Sekiryuutei," I said. This was a simple fact intended to draw a response that could be the beginnings of conversation.

Without looking up, he gave a small nod of his head. Another moment passed in silence. I uncrossed my legs and sat forward in my chair. "I want you to feel that this is a safe environment and that I am here for your benefit. This is your time."

He raised his head slightly and looked at me with eyes of two different colors, gold and black. I tucked the pen into the binding of the notebook and set it down on the table to the left. This is a practiced move meant to reinforce the safe nature of the meeting. Then I leaned back and gave what I hoped was a comforting smile. "This time will be most beneficial to you if you could help me understand why you felt the need to visit a dragon counselor."

I could see his eyes dilate slightly while his jaw relaxed and opened. It was a reaction that was very common and signified an experience that was so overwhelming that it was difficult to put it into words.

"Something happened to you?" I asked. He closed his eyes and then nodded. "Okay, I understand," I said.

'I understand.' Those are the two most important words in my profession. Now to guide him into the memory gently, I begin to ask the questions that have simple answers.

"Where were you when this happened?"

He shrugged his shoulders and spoke softly, "I don't know. I had never been there before."

"Can you describe it?"

He shook his head from side to side but continued to speak. This was a good sign. It meant that he was willing to continue in spite of the painful memory.

"It was a very large, very bright room at the top of a high tower."

"Do you remember how you arrived there?"

"I was taken there by the Princess of Destruction. I was told that this was to be a gathering of a special kind of wizard, ones who have the power to lay subtle traps that ensnare the hearts and minds of those who encounter them. I was told that this would give us an advantage in the upcoming battle tournament."

"I see. And this was agreeable to you?"

His body stiffened and his face became a pointed scowl. "Only a fool would deny himself an advantage in battle."

"I understand." I turned to take my tea. The time to pick up the cup, take a drink, and return the cup to its place on the table would allow my client to calm down a bit while looking like an unrelated action. So much of this job was theater.

After I had done this and resumed my comfortable pose in my chair, I asked him, "at what point did you feel that you..." I caught myself about to make the wrong approach and paused. A dragon is never not in control of a situation. "I'm sorry. At what point did you feel that the situation was changing to one displeasing to you?"

He took a deep breath and let out a sigh. "Almost immediately," he said. "When we entered the room, I could tell that this was a kind of magic different than the kind I was familiar with. There was an altar, but it was not made of stone. It was a very large polished wooden slab that was very low to the ground. There were seats around the altar and we were expected to sit during the ceremony.

"There were four wizards, two male and two female. They wore no hoods to conceal their faces—in fact, their faces were bright and polished like the altar. They wore not robes, but clothes of fine fabric which were cut to emphasize those physical characteristics considered attractive in humans and Devils. If I were that foolish partner of Ddraig, I would have broken my own neck from turning back and forth to gaze at the chests of the females.

"There were no candles and no shadows. The walls of the room were made of glass and allowed for a view of the city below. I could tell that this was a place of power, even though it was different from those of my experience."

I nodded and gave him a look of sympathetic attention. He was speaking without concern so I steered him towards the center of the issue. "What did the wizards do then?"

Again, he shook his head but continued speaking. "They made introductions. They offered refreshments. They chattered inanities with the Princess who seemed completely comfortable and participated in that ritual with a maddening ease."

His face soured and his posture showed defeat. "Before I knew what was happening, the wizards were congratulating themselves on having executed the spell. That is, they had crafted the spell but had not cast it? I didn't understand—I still don't understand. What kind of magic was this that needed to be cast twice?

"Then they began to show pictures on large paper tablets. The pictures were of normal-looking Devils who had undergone transformation. The Princess made a squealing noise and began to clap her hands in anticipation and approval. Then she took me by the arm and squeezed me.

"I stared and stared at the tablets but I could not understand what had happened. The words 'Before' and 'After' appeared below the pictures. The 'Before' picture showed various Devils looking vaguely ill. The pictures were all lacking in light and color. There were both male and female Devils, but they all had similar looks of sadness and discomfort.

"Then, next to them, were the 'After' pictures. The Devils no longer looked sick and grey, but were caught in poses of manic excitement. They were wearing brightly colored clothes and some of them were wearing dark glasses. Others had necklaces made of flowers and were carrying glass beakers of some kind of potion containing a piece of fruit.

"Then I noticed that each tablet had a piece of writing in common. At the bottom of each tablet, in very large letters, was written what must have been the name of the spell: Crom Cruach, Party Dragon."

Crom Cruach then hid his face in his palms and leaned forward to rest his elbows on his knees. I leaned forward and gently placed my hand on his shoulder. "It's okay, I understand. You are safe. Nothing here can hurt you."

His shoulder trembled due to his spasmodic breathing. Whether he was crying or trying to restrain himself from crying, this was not a welcome position for a dragon. I maintained the physical contact until his breathing again became regular, then I sat back and waited.

"I tried to get up from my chair but the Princess held my arm and was telling me not to worry. We made eye contact and I could immediately feel her being reaching into mine and causing the fear to be replaced by some kind of fog. It was the most horrifying feeling of being trapped and not being able to flee. Worse than that was knowing that what was happening was a power of a kind I had never encountered before. I couldn't do anything and I would be a prisoner until the wizards had completed their terrible task.

"The wizards then began to chant in sequence, first one of the males, then one of the females. Their voices were hypnotizing and filled with strange, arcane words like 'market saturation' and 'target demographics.' The Princess held me by the hand, firmly, yet gently, and when the next wizard picked up the chant, she would squeeze my hand and smile at me.

"I don't know how long the chant lasted. I suspect that I had been lulled into a state of hypnosis. I heard my name and when my eyes had focused, the four wizards were looking at me expectantly. I turned to look at the Princess and she was looking at me in a very strange way. I had seen her give the boy the same kind of look—it was the look of a brooding Drakaina."

I reached to my right and took the water bottle, then handed it to Crom Cruach. He took it automatically and then looked at the object he was holding. After a moment of inspection, he thanked me in a low voice and then opened the bottle to drink.

I adjusted myself in my chair to a more comfortable position and waited for him to continue.

"I could no longer feel her influence on me directly, but I knew that I was completely under her command. When she stood up, she was still holding my hand, so I stood up with her.

"The wizards then led us out of the chamber and into a hall. The male who must have been the chief wizard engaged in small talk with the Princess as he led us along. The hallway ended at a pair of metal doors that opened to a brilliantly lit white room. At the far end of the room, a grey-haired man with a small beard paced back and forth between a pair of thin, metal columns. Each column contained at the top a silver shell, in the center of which shone a miniature sun.

"This strange wizard was wearing a tight black tunic that extended to his wrists and up his neck to his chin. His legs were covered by a loose pair of trousers. The wizard who led us into the room called out to him. This new wizard looked at us and then beckoned to us with a wave of his arm. The Princess thanked the first wizard and then walked towards the new wizard. They exchanged pleasantries and before I knew what was happening, I was standing between two of the metal towers in front of a sheet of green fabric.

"The grey wizard looked at me and walked back and forth to look at me from different angles. While he was doing this, silent flashes of lightning occurred in the room. After what felt like one hundred flashes, the old wizard began issuing commands to me. He told me to turn my head and I didn't understand for what reason I should. He said it again and when I didn't respond, he looked questioningly at the Princess. I looked at her as well.

"The Princess approached me and took me by the arm. With her free hand, she stroked me on my cheek and told me that the wizard, the photographer, was trying to pose me in a position that would look best to his camera. She asked if I would do my best to follow his instructions, and that it would make her very happy if I did it well.

"In the back of my mind, I told myself that I owed no loyalty to this woman. I had allied myself with her simply for the opportunity to engage in glorious battle against powerful opponents. I was promised the chance to duel against the Sekiryuutei or the Hakuryuukou—or possibly both! I could not understand this magic and I was beginning to lose my patience with its casting.

"But for some reason, I complied. I turned my head. I turned my body. I leaned and bent and posed. Then the photographer ordered me to contort my face. He demonstrated the appearance I should display by producing a grimace on his own face. I looked to the Princess for support. She again gave me that terrible appraising look and nodded her head.

"Very reluctantly, I tried to approximate the expression being shown. I moved my lips and showed my teeth and opened my eyes wide. The photographer increased the intensity of his expression. I looked over at the Princess again, who nodded her head again. I spread my lips wider and opened my eyes wider. 'Perfect' the photographer shouted and then the lightning flashes commenced again.

"A group of female Devils came and went, standing with me, kneeling next to me, placing their hands on my body. They would leave and come back in a different costume and repeat the stances and gestures.

"At some point, I lost awareness of the situation. When I awoke from my trance, the Princess and I were at the outside entrance of the tower and she was bidding the first wizard farewell. As we departed, she held my arm firmly against her body and praised me as we walked. She explained that the spell would take some time to develop, but that soon all of the denizens of the Underworld would know me and wish for me to be victorious, and that this power would be delivered to me during the battles at the stadium."

He trailed off and gazed into the distance. Neither of us spoke, but now and then he would take a drink from the water bottle. His face was not giving me any indication of what he might be thinking.

"How long ago did this happen?" I asked, hoping to coax him back into talking. He turned to look at me and stared at me as though he was seeing me for the first time. "Has anything else happened since then?"

His face took on an expression of pain and confusion. It looked as if he were trying to say something but was having difficulty finding the right words to use.

His eyes became unfocused as if he were staring directly into the past. "So long ago, there was I. There were a handful of other dragons, and the rest was inconsequential, like grass." He looked up to the ceiling for a moment and then back down to the floor. "This magic...too powerful…"

"Tell me what makes it so powerful," I asked in a quiet voice.

"It...has broken through..."

"What has it broken through?"

He then looked at me with a face twisted in anguish. "Everything!" And he grabbed onto the hair on the sides of his head and began to howl.

"My face is everywhere! Once I could move like the wind across the fields—now, I am ever surrounded by Devilkind. They stand in my path and look at me and wait for me to recognize them! They approach me in groups and take turns standing with me while their companions flash lights at me. There is no fear, no awe!"

He continued pleadingly, "I have begun to hesitate before venturing out. I ask myself if the journey will be worth having to suffer the eyes and hands on me. I am no longer the master, standing above, but have become like an animal in a cage.

"Please. Help me. Help me break this spell and let me return to majesty!"

"I understand." Sometimes the words are just a bandage, a dressing. I say them because they give some small comfort and allow my client to continue moving forward. I repeat them over and over because sometimes it's the only time my client will ever hear them. But I have found that, if I say them often enough, and if my client can open himself up enough, there will come a point where the words become the truth.

I have arrived at that moment. I understand. I place both of my feet flat on the floor and sit up straight. Then, I open my arms wide in a welcoming gesture. "I understand you and I think I can help," I say with a gentle smile.

Two weeks later, Crom Cruach has returned to my office and is sitting in the same spot on the couch. His posture and facial expression are almost identical to those of his last visit. It's impossible to tell by looking at him what he is thinking or feeling. Such as it is with dragons.

"So, how was it?" I asked. After our last session, I had contacted Rias Gremory to suggest a way that Crom Cruach could be helped to adjust to his situation. The idea was that he could spend some time with some other Underworld celebrities to learn how they managed. Rias thought it was a good idea and had asked to make the arrangements herself.

Last week, an autograph-signing event was held at the stadium. Crom Cruach was joined by Rias, the Sekiryuutei, and Serafall "Levi-tan" Leviathan to support an organization that was helping to rebuild the homes that were destroyed during the attack of the nightmare creatures. The reports I had heard suggested that the event was well received.

Crom Cruach looked at me with fiery eyes. He opened his mouth slightly to expose his teeth, then he gave a low, rumbling growl. My only reaction to this display was to tilt my head slightly to one side in a questioning fashion. He then spoke. "I...I was...defeated."

This was a surprise to me as I couldn't imagine how "defeat" could occur at a charity autograph event. "What do you mean by that?" I asked, "How so?"

He balled up his fists and shook them with his elbows at his sides. "Those fools waited for hours to exchange ten words with the boy or his consort, or the ridiculous Maou. Did they not realize that they could have honored me with no delay?"

He finished speaking and then crossed his arms in front of himself and turned his head to the side. I did not change my facial expression, but inside, I was smiling broadly. Success!

He continued, "I will tell the Princess that her magic is weak and that she must do better if she wishes for it to assist me in battle." He stood up and glared at me with fierce determination. "That I should be defeated on ANY field of battle is unacceptable. This new form of combat, I WILL master."

And with that, Crom Cruach had returned to majesty. Dragons are eternal creatures. Sometimes the world changes faster than they can adjust. I am happy that my work allows me to remind them what it means to be a dragon.


	7. A Devil-Valkyrie's Work

As the light of the magic circle faded, I could begin to see the room to which I had been summoned. I could feel my lips curl into a grimace of disgust. A deal with a Devil always comes with a catch, and mine was no exception. The world of the Valkyrie is bright and beautiful, full of color and shine. The world of the Devil is very similar. The world of the Devils' clients, however, is not.

A human who has become open to the idea of a deal with a Devil is rarely in a good emotional or financial position. These deals are made out of desperation, a last gamble to dodge the approach of oblivion. At least, that is how it appears to me because those are the ones that I am presented with.

My eyes having adjusted to the dimness of the room, I can see the small man sitting at the edge of a mattress which sets directly on the floor. He appears to be in his mid-forties, thin, with a wispy mustache. He is wearing a light colored shirt that has been worn too many times and washed too few. He is looking up at me expectantly, not moving from the position he must have been in when he activated the summoning card. It is better for us both if I ignore him for the moment.

The apartment is small, about fifteen square meters. It is not modern construction and there has been no effort made to maximize space. It is essentially a box. A table is stacked with newspapers and takeout food containers. The chair is draped with unwashed clothes. A small television stands on a board placed over the sink.

The first thing that needs to be addressed is the air. I draw the Mistilteinn wand halfway out of the sleeve of my suit jacket, but decide that it isn't necessary, and push it back. I raise my right arm parallel to the floor and take the wrist with an overhand grip of my left hand. I move my right hand down, up, then rotate my wrist palm-up and curl my fingers. I flick my fingers out from the fist with a throwing motion and a globe of clear air expands to fill the room. Now that I can breathe without the reek of cigarettes and stale food, I can concentrate on the reason for my summoning.

I turn back to the man in front of me and he cringes as our eyes meet. This display of weakness furthers my disgust. If Asia were in my place, she would try to comfort the man. If Rias were here, she would try to put the man at ease. I want to slap him. I know that this is wrong. I mustn't do anything that would reflect poorly on my King or his business.

After a deep breath, I ask the man the reason that he has summoned me. What followed was a story of bad luck and poor choices, of no connections and not having the personality to stand out. The only way to say it was his fault was because it was his life.

I stood there and listened to him. When he stopped talking and I made no reaction, he took it to mean that he should continue talking. He told me about the woman he loved but could not marry because her father did not like him. He told me about the work colleague promoted ahead of him and how he was blamed for the colleague's poor performance as manager. He told me about having to take a job far beneath his abilities when the company ultimately failed, because that was the only thing available to him due to his age.

When he had told all he could tell, he stared at the floor. I stared at him. There was nothing here for me. There was nothing I could do.

"I can't help you," I said and turned away from him. From the corner of my eye, I could see the look of shock on his face. I paused in my turn, waiting to see whether he would choose despair or rage.

"Stop!" he shouted. I felt the corners of my mouth turn slightly upward. "You can't just walk away—I summoned you! You haven't even listened to what it is that I desire!"

I turned back to look at him squarely. "I already know what you desire. At least, I know the theme." As I spoke, I saw his posture straighten and his hands curl into fists. "You desire to be given the power to correct the injustices committed towards you. You wish for the opportunity to prove yourself, an opportunity you feel you've never had. You want the best revenge, the revenge that is success."

"What's wrong with that?" he asked.

"Nothing," I said, "if you have the strength to do something with a second chance. And I'm not sure that you do."

"You're wrong," he said through gritted teeth.

"If you're sure, there is a program that may be what you're looking for. It's difficult and dangerous. There is no early exit—you complete the program successfully or you die trying."

"You don't scare me," he said as he crooked his chin at me defiantly.

"I'm sure I don't. However, I will be taking payment in advance."

"What is the payment?"

"Two years of your life. The life force equivalent to the next two years of your life." I reached into my inside jacket pocket and withdrew the two magical crystals that are used as containers for the life force. Then I held them out in my open hand for him to take.

He reached his hand halfway towards mine, paused, and looked from the crystals to me. I curled my fingers around the crystals. "You hesitated. You don't have the strength for this." And I tucked the crystals back into my jacket pocket.

"No!" he cried out and lunged for the place where the crystals rested. "No, you can't take this away from me!"

I stepped aside and gave him a light slap across his cheek as he passed me. He spun towards me with his hand on his cheek where I had struck it. His eyes were blazing with rage.

"Give them to me." And he thrust his other hand out to me.

"No. I told you. You don't have the strength for this. If I send you and you die in the first week, my ability to evaluate candidates will be called into question. I don't need to have your failure tainting my reputation. Stay where you are, where it's safe, and forget that this meeting ever happened."

He lowered his hand from his reddening cheek and approached me in a confrontational fashion. "Give them to me or I don't care who you are, I will take them."

"Very well," I said and extracted them again. "Hold these in your hand, one at a time, until they grow cool."

Without blinking or averting his stare, he took the first crystal and gripped it so tightly that his knuckles turned white. Then he handed it back to me and while continuing to stare defiantly at me, took the second crystal.

"There," I said as I put the energized crystals back into my pocket. "Your payment is accepted. A car will be sent for you in the morning. What you choose to bring along makes no difference. All of your needs will be provided for during your conscription."

The man appeared to be struggling with the weight of the decision he had made and he sat back onto his mattress. I drew a summoning circle in the air with my finger.

"You are in need of immediate training." I told him after I had finished. "My colleague will be arriving shortly to provide that training."

A summoning circle began to glow in the space in front of the apartment's sink. "Before the car arrives in the morning, your body will become familiar with the sensation of pain so that what lies in front of you will be easy by comparison."

A figure dressed like a shrine maiden appeared from the summoning circle. "Ara, ara! Is this my entertainment for this evening?" She smiled a broad smile and squinted her eyes adorably.

"With your permission, I shall be on my way," I said and turned to walk towards the apartment's door. I heard a giggle, what sounded like the crack of a whip, and an exclamation of pain and surprise.

* * *

I returned to the office of the Hyoudou Issei Company. Ravel was at the end of the office's couch reading a list of numbers out loud. Issei was seated behind his desk obviously struggling to stay awake. Both of them looked to me as I closed the door behind me. Issei gave me a huge smile as if I had just rescued him from a desert island. I felt my cheeks flush as I smiled back.

Ravel stood up and greeted me warmly, "Rossweisse! I wasn't expecting to see you this early. Was your meeting productive?"

I nodded my head and produced the crystals. Ravel let out an exhalation of surprise and put her book down on the room's conference table as she approached me with her eyes open wide.

"Issei, come and look at these," she said, and Issei got up from his seat and came towards us.

"What are they?" Issei asked and Ravel explained excitedly what they were and how they were used.

"The house of Phoenix uses these—they are a critical component in the creation of Phoenix Tears! But look at the color!" Issei leaned forward to examine them and wrinkled his brow as he struggled to understand what he was looking at. I had only recently started using these crystals and I wasn't aware that the color was significant.

Ravel explained, "The color of the mature crystal indicates the manner by which the life force was absorbed. It's possible to take it by force or duress, in which case the color will be a deep, dark green, like an emerald. The more willingly the life force is given, the lighter the shade and the brighter the glow. Rossweisse, these crystals are almost white!"

Ravel looked at me admiringly, "Yields of this quality are extremely uncommon." She looked back and forth between Issei and myself. "I don't know if it was ever explained to you, but Phoenix Tears come in different grades. It's not possible to refine the ingredients, so great care is taken to match their quality in order to produce the proper grade."

"The Tears I gave to you as a gift," she said to Issei, "were of a particularly high grade." She looked down at the table and smiled as her cheeks began to turn red. "I was trying very hard to get your attention." She took a deep breath and raised her chin back into the more confident pose I had come to associate with her. "But these crystals can be used to make a batch of even higher grade."

She brought out her book, flipped the pages until she found the one she wanted, and made an entry. Then she slapped the book closed and set the crystals on top of it.

"If this something you can do again, Rossweisse," she said looking at me with a fire in her eyes, "you may have found a very lucrative trade!"

She gathered the crystals and her book, and turned to Issei. She raised herself on her toes and moved her face to Issei's ear and whispered to him. Then she looked into his eyes for a moment, and raised herself again to kiss him on his cheek. Ravel gave me another big smile as she left the office.

Issei turned and stepped over to the couch and sat down. I stood and looked at him, holding my clasped hands in front of my waist. He smiled and patted the seat next to him and lay his arm along the back of the couch. I walked over and sat down next to him, our hips touching. Issei put his arm around my shoulder and I leaned my head on his.

For a moment, we were silent. I tried to breathe as gently as possible so that I could feel his chest rising and falling with his own breath. I closed my eyes and tried to carve this moment into my memory. These quiet, personal times were far more rare than any green crystal.

"She said," Issei spoke, revealing what Ravel had whispered, "that I should tell you." After a couple of cycles of breath moving in and out, he continued, "but she didn't say what I should tell you."

I sat up a little straighter and turned so that I could look directly into his face. "I guess the obvious thing," he said, "would be to tell you that I'm happy with the work you did tonight." He looked at me with a gentle smile. "But that shouldn't be something that I should need to be reminded of."

"So it has to be something more important." He leaned his head back on the couch and stared up at the ceiling. I settled back down with my head on his shoulder to wait to hear what he would say. After a while, I started to worry that he had fallen asleep. As if he had read my mind, he gave me a gentle squeeze.

"I just don't know," he said. "The only thing I can think of is how happy I am that you are here with me."

My eyes suddenly filled with emotional tears. I twisted my shoulders so that I could reach behind his head and I pulled his face towards mine. I gave him a kiss so strong that I hope it hurt, and then I buried my face into the space between his shoulder and jaw. As his arm wrapped around me to wrap me in a full hug, I was very thankful that I had made my Deal.


End file.
